


my world never looked so bright

by mrsenjolras



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Fluff, M/M, Pining, queer eye AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-06
Updated: 2018-05-06
Packaged: 2019-05-03 03:02:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 12,894
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14559423
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mrsenjolras/pseuds/mrsenjolras
Summary: Liam Payne is bloody gorgeous. That’s the first thought that runs through Harry’s head, followed shortly after byLiam Payne is bloody straight and unattainable. It’s completely inadvisable for Harry to go after Liam, especially with the show and all, but Harry’s always appreciated a pretty face. And he doesn’t think there’s anything wrong in admiring Liam a little bit, so long as he does his job at the same time.[Or: a Queer Eye Lirry AU]





	my world never looked so bright

**Author's Note:**

> well, this is a queer eye au, because that was inevitable, wasn't it? if you haven't seen the show, you will probably be able to understand the fic, but you should also definitely watch the show since it's amazing
> 
> a big thank you to phoebe for reading this over on short notice and for teaching me that cilantro and coriander are the same plant xoxo
> 
> title from the queer eye theme song

It’s bloody hot. The biggest British heat wave in the last God-knows-how-long, and Harry is stuck sweating in the middle of the backseat, pressed between Zayn and Nick. Niall had left the front seat, needing the extra leg room after he twinged his knee having a kickabout with the kids of the last bloke they helped out. Louis had called dibs on driving that morning before all the other lads had woken up enough to protest, so Harry’s squished in the back, slowly sweating through his silk shirt. He toys with the idea of undoing yet another button, but that would only leave him with two buttons done up, and the producers would probably just yell at him again after the last time, then make them do reshoots for continuity. That’s longer in the car, and Harry can barely deal with the thought.

He’s pulled from his contemplation when Niall clears his throat dramatically. “Alright, lads, who wants to learn about our next subject?” he asks, and pauses appropriately for them all to make enthusiastic noises. “His name is Liam Payne, he’s 25 years old, from Wolverhampton, and he was nominated by his older sisters Ruth and Nicola.”

“Aw, that’s sweet,” Louis says, and Harry knows he’s thinking of his own siblings. He can see Zayn smile to himself out of the corner of his eye, and he nudges him a bit with his elbow. Zayn turns to him, and his smile crinkles up even more. 

“So he’s a family man?” Zayn asks, and Niall hums thoughtfully. 

“Yup,” he says, “he only lives about twenty minutes from his parents’ house, and apparently never misses a Sunday roast with his mum and dad.” Harry’s chest fills with a warm feeling at that; he can already tell Liam Payne is going to be one of the sweeter makeovers they do. 

“What’s the job looking like for each of us?” Nick asks from Harry’s other side. Harry doesn’t blame him for wanting to get to business--at their last stop, Nick had practically burnt down the man’s wardrobe. He’d been muttering about clashing plaid for days afterwards. 

“Well,” Niall says, and Harry can tell his eyes are scanning quickly across the iPad. Technically they were all given these briefs beforehand, but none of them have been particularly good about reading ahead. Except for Louis, who always has to be on top of the ball in order to fix up these houses on their short allotment of time. “He teaches music at the local primary school, and he likes to spend his free time at the gym. He holds a little boxing club after school for some of the kids to learn self-defense and things like that. Apparently, because of that, his wardrobe is pretty much just gym clothes.”

Nick groans, slumping back in the seat. “Ugh, what is it with lads and tracksuits?” he moans. 

“Oi,” Louis calls out, “a tracksuit is a perfectly versatile piece of clothing!” He shoots a grin over his shoulder, clearly amused at Nick’s horrified expression. Harry leans into Nick a bit to show his support, though all it really serves to do is cause their sweaty arms to slip against each other. 

“Anyway,” Niall plows ahead admirably, “Ruth and Nicola say that Liam is a great guy, but he had a pretty bad break up a while ago and he’s been in a bit of a rut ever since. So my task for the week will be breaking him out of that rut and getting him back to the happy and lively man he was before. Zayn, you’ve got the easy job this week--” Groans sound throughout the car, and Zayn smirks smugly. “Liam’s got his hair buzzed, so there’s not much you can do with it.”

“So Zayn can relax all week while I’m rebuilding this lad’s flat? Awesome,” Louis grouses, but Harry knows it’s all for show. Or, well, probably 80% of it is for show. 

“Maybe Zayn can use his free time to help you remodel, Lou,” Harry pipes up helpfully, and ignores the elbow to the gut that Zayn gives him after. 

“That’s a great idea, Haz,” Louis says, and Harry smiles at him in the rearview mirror before he leans forward, putting his head in between the two front seats. 

“Does Liam Payne know how to cook, Niall?” Harry asks, giving Niall his sweetest smile, the one that producer Ben had told him pretty much ensured his spot on the show. 

“Hm,” Niall says, “Says here that his most notable experience with food is the time he dropped a whole takeout dinner and his house smelled like pasta for the next week.”

Harry slumps back in his seat, pouting a little as the rest of the boys laugh. He’ll have to teach Liam _something_ during the week. Hopefully he likes avocado. 

*

The plan is to surprise Liam at his parents’ house. His whole family and a group of his friends were meant to be there, all under the guise of a retirement party for one of Liam’s aunts. As they slow to a stop in front of the house, Harry’s stomach starts to flutter with the butterflies he’s come to associate with doing this job. It’s always a bit nerve-wracking to do the first meeting--never quite sure how someone will react, worrying about making the shot good for the show, and trying to maintain some form of order with the other four lads running all over the place. It’s chaos, but Harry supposes that’s what the show is supposed to be. 

Liam’s parents’ house isn’t the largest on the street, but as soon as they step out of the car--falling might be the more accurate term in Harry’s case--they can hear the sounds of what’s obviously a large party happening in the back garden. There’s music, the hum of many conversations, and barks of laughter. 

“Come on,” Nick says, gesturing with his hand towards the gate that leads to the garden. They all play up being stealthy, though Harry knows that the party-goers probably wouldn’t hear them anyway. Harry takes up the rear of the pack, mostly because he’s not sure what Liam looks like and doesn’t want to accost some poor sod for no reason. Louis goes first, like usual, because he’s a bit of a terror who likes to surprise people. 

When they get into the heart of the party, it’s clear most of the attendees have noticed them. Harry’s not quite sure how many of them knew they would be surprising Liam today, but there’s quite a bit of whispering and pointing as they make their way through the guests. As luck would have it, Liam’s turned away from them as they approach, talking to an older woman, though Harry can’t tell if its his mum or another relative. 

Harry’s first sight of Liam Payne is from the back, and he scans his eyes up and down his body quickly as Louis and Niall tiptoe ahead to surprise him. It looks like Liam is about Harry’s height, maybe an inch or two shorter thanks to Harry’s Chelsea boots. He’s got a nice build, obviously muscular yet not overly beefy like those guys who spend all their free time in the gym. Harry’s just admiring the way Liam’s broad shoulders taper into a fairly narrow waist, accentuated by the fitted white t-shirt he has on, when Louis and Niall jump up on Liam and he turns around in surprise. 

Liam Payne is bloody gorgeous. That’s the first thought that runs through Harry’s head, followed shortly after by _Liam Payne is bloody straight and unattainable_. It’s completely inadvisable for Harry to go after Liam, especially with the show and all, but Harry’s always appreciated a pretty face. And he doesn’t think there’s anything wrong in admiring Liam a little bit, so long as he does his job at the same time. 

He tunes back into the conversation just in time for the other lads to introduce themselves. Harry’s at the end, and he immediately steps up to give Liam a hug, saying “Hi, I’m Harry,” as he does so. Harry’s a tactile person, and he always likes to hug the people they’re making over at the first meeting--it gives Harry an idea of how comfortable the person is in themselves and around others. Liam, for example, stiffens up a bit before he relaxes, putting his arms around Harry and patting him on the back twice. He pulls away immediately after that, cutting the hug shorter than Harry usually likes. He might be wanting long hugs with Liam for another reason, but Harry’s not thinking about that right now. Right now, he’s thinking about that little moment of hesitation before he hugged Harry back, how that means he’s reluctant to trust new people. But he _had_ hugged Harry back, something that not all of the other guys they’ve met have done--that means he probably _wants_ to trust people, but he’s afraid of something. Niall might be the one who counsels, but Harry’s got Liam Payne figured out, and he’s already hatching a plan to get him out of his shell.

*

Once introductions are over with, they all leave the party and head to Liam’s place. Harry starts to head back towards the car but Liam stops him with a hand on his wrist. “It’s not far,” he says, dropping Harry’s wrist quickly and rubbing his hand against the back of his neck. “We can walk it.” He sounds kind of sheepish, like it might be embarrassing for him to live within walking distance of his parents. Harry just finds it endearing, and he gives Liam a big smile. 

“Better for the environment!” he says cheerfully. “Lead the way.” Liam blushes a bit and then starts walking. Niall immediately catches up to him and starts chattering away, so Harry falls back a bit, walking in line with Nick--Louis and Zayn somewhere behind them probably trying to sneak a smoke in while the cameras are focused on Niall and Liam. 

“Seems nice,” Harry murmurs to Nick, careful not to let his voice get caught by the mic, “Shouldn’t be too hard to work with.”

Nick looks at him sideways. “Not too bad to look at, either, hm?” he suggests, then smirks widely when Harry looks away, cheeks heating. “You’ve got a type, you know that, right?” 

“Don’t know what you’re talking about,” Harry mutters. So maybe he does have a type, and maybe that type is guys with kind eyes and muscles that look like they can lift him with ease. But usually the kind eyes turn out to be hiding an unkind interior, and they’ll leave Harry in the dust at the next pretty lad who comes around. Harry’s got a hunch that that’s not true of Liam, that he really is a nice person--which makes him all the more dangerous for Harry. 

He and Nick catch up to Niall and Liam, and Louis and Zayn appear from somewhere to meet them at the door. Liam’s flat is nice, though a bit on the small side. It’s the first floor of an older terraced house, and Harry can tell as soon as he walks in that most of the decorating is from the previous owners, with the exception of some photos of Liam’s family and friends hanging on the walls. 

“Tell me, Liam,” Louis says, standing in the centre of the living room with his hands on his hips and turning slowly in a circle, “how much of this furniture did you purchase yourself?”

“Um,” Liam says, rubbing his hand on the back of his neck again. Harry figures it must be a nervous tic. “Most of it came with the place. I put together the telly stand, though.”

Harry looks. “Why’s it got cardboard under one of the legs?” he asks. Zayn snorts next to him. Liam turns a bit pink.

“Think the box was missing some screws, or summat. Would never stand straight.”

Niall lets out a big laugh, throwing an arm around Liam’s neck. “Tommo’ll sort that out for you, won’t you?” he says, but Louis isn’t paying attention, instead looking at where some paint is peeling off the walks and muttering to himself. 

“Oh, Liam!” Nick calls, and Harry grins. Nick’s obviously helped himself to Liam’s closet, which is always Harry’s favourite part of meeting their clients. He heads into the next room, dragging Zayn along with him by the arm, and they find Nick already halfway in the closet, throwing clothes out haphazardly. Harry can’t tell how much of the mess on the floor came from Nick and how much was there before, but he has a sneaking suspicion at least half of it was Liam’s doing. Based on the red tint to his face when he comes in the room, Harry’s assumption is probably right. 

Harry picks up one of the t-shirts Nick had thrown out of the closet, inspecting it closely before turning to Liam with a wide grin on his face. “Fan of Batman, Liam?” he asks, and Liam turns even redder before snatching the shirt out of Harry’s hands. 

“‘Course,” he says, “He’s the best.” 

“Iron Man is cooler!” Louis calls from the other room, and Liam whips his head around. 

“You wish!” he calls back, and Harry laughs, surprised that Liam is playing along with them so quickly but pleased at the same time. 

“Spider-Man is the coolest,” Zayn says slowly, and Liam looks at him carefully for a moment before he nods. 

“I like you,” he says, and Harry’s mouth is open before he can help it. 

“Don’t you like me, Liam?” he asks, and both Nick and Zayn turn to look at him. Nick is smirking, the bastard, but Zayn has that thoughtful look on his face like he’s nearly got something figured out but isn’t quite there yet. Harry ignores them both, and keeps his eyes trained on Liam. 

“Yeah,” Liam says, softly enough that Harry’s not sure the mic will pick it up. He’s not sure if he _wants_ the mic to pick it up. “Reckon I do.”

*

Harry leaves the lads to tear through Liam’s bedroom and bathroom, trying on his clothes and parading around dramatically. Their laughter follows him as he makes his way to the kitchen, intent on getting his job started for the week. 

Liam’s kitchen is tiny; a cramped room that leaves much to be desired in terms of workable space. It makes Harry long for the kitchen in his flat, with its wide island and marble countertops, perfect to spread out while he’s making a meal. He wonders if he can ask Louis to put in a kitchen expansion in his remodel plan, though it might just be wishful thinking. He forces himself to focus more on what’s actually _in_ the kitchen, rather than what it looks like on the surface. 

Unfortunately, there doesn’t seem to be much in the kitchen at all. He finds a few containers full of leftovers in the fridge, some from takeaway places and others looking like they’re from Liam’s mum. There’s a disturbing lack of fresh fruits or vegetables, though he finds a rather large bottle of protein powder on the counter, next to a well-loved blender. He digs around in the cabinets a little more, and pulls open a drawer that’s stuffed to the brim with takeaway menus. He laughs a little, and asks one of the PAs who had come with him to go grab Liam from the other room. The PA leaves, and Harry scoops the menus out and dumps them on the counter. He then leans his hip against the counter, crossing his arms over his chest as he waits for Liam to enter the room. When Liam does, looking slightly nervous, Harry just nods his head towards the stack of menus. 

“Fancy a bit of takeaway, Liam?” he asks. Liam huffs out a slight laugh and ducks his head a bit, hiding his smile from Harry. Harry doesn’t like that very much, but he figures he should pick his battles for now. 

“Um, yeah,” he says, “I don’t really, like, cook a lot for myself.”

Harry cocks his head to the side. “Why is that?” 

“I’m not good at it?” Liam says with a bit of a self-deprecating laugh. “And usually I’m too tired from work to cook, especially on days I’m at the hospital.” 

“Hospital?” Harry asks. He doesn’t remember Niall mentioning anything about a hospital in the brief. 

“Yeah, I volunteer there? In the children’s ward. My mum works there as a nursery nurse, and she got me the position. I was in hospital a lot as a kid, because one of my kidneys didn’t work well, so I remember what it was like to be there for appointments or treatment or surgery. It’s hard, missing out on playing outside or going to school because you’re stuck in hospital, so I go and play with the kids, sing them some songs and stuff. It’s tiring, though, doing that after a whole day at school, so I usually just grab something quick on the way home or order in.”

Harry’s stunned for a moment. It’s not exactly helping how attractive he finds Liam, finding out that Liam might actually be the kindest person alive. “That’s amazing,” he says when he finally finds his voice again, “And It sounds like you do a lot for other people, but you don’t do that much for yourself.”

Liam shrugs. “I guess not, but like, I’m fine? I feel like I don’t need to do much for me, not when other people need help more than I do.”

Harry nods. “It’s not bad to do things for you, Liam. It’s not selfish.” Liam nods a little, but he ducks his head, so Harry can tell Liam doesn’t fully believe him. Harry sighs a little under his breath and sends Liam back to the other boys, already putting together a plan in his head to get Liam to start eating a bit better and cooking for himself more. 

*

Harry gets pulled aside to film one of the talking head shots a little while later, and they ask him what his plan for Liam is for the week. 

“When I was talking to Liam in the kitchen, I found out just how much he gives to other people, but he doesn’t really give that much back to himself. This week, I want to help him realise that he needs to take care of himself just as well, and that it’s not bad to do things for himself occasionally. I also want to encourage him to start more healthy eating habits, because it’s clear he has a real concern for health in other aspects of his life, and a healthy lifestyle really starts with your diet. Liam has a great basis for how he lives his life, and I just want to highlight that and help him to go the full way with it.” He ends with a wide smile, and the producer nods behind the camera. 

“Sounds great, Harry,” he says, “Can you go grab Zayn and send him out?” 

“Sure!” Harry says brightly, though he’s sure Zayn’s talking head won’t be as in depth as Harry’s. It’s not like Zayn has a lot of work to do with Liam, anyway. Harry thinks Liam’s wonderful just as he is, and it’s not even like Zayn can really give him a haircut. He’ll probably just wax on about some moisturizing technique that’ll help Liam “connect to his inner self” or something that would usually sound like total bullshit, but from Zayn’s mouth actually sounds pretty legitimate. It’s a talent. 

Harry returns to the house, finds Zayn on the couch half-dozing. He shakes him awake and sends him off to film still sleepy-eyed, though he’ll probably end up looking like a model fresh off the runway on camera, the bugger. Harry shakes his head fondly before searching for the other boys. 

He finds them outside, in Liam’s back garden, an area Harry hadn’t noticed before. “Wow, this space is really nice,” he says to Louis as he steps outside, and Louis nods. 

“Yeah, I reckon putting in some new seating, maybe a barbecue, we can really liven this up. Make it somewhere Liam wants to take people home to.” Something hot flashes in Harry’s chest at the idea of Liam taking people home, and that’s when he knows he’s already in too deep. He barely knows the guy, and he’s getting possessive over him taking people back to his flat? It’s basically Harry’s _job_ to get him ready to attract a special someone, and that makes him feel even worse. “You alright, mate?” Louis asks, cutting through Harry’s spiralling thought process. Louis has a shrewd look on his face, like he can see exactly what Harry’s feeling, and it doesn’t really look like he approves of it. 

“Yeah,” Harry says, and his voice comes out halfway normal. He clears his throat before he tries again. “Just fine.” Louis looks like he doesn’t quite believe Harry, but he lets him off the hook for now, and that’s as much as Harry can ask for, really. 

*

Harry doesn’t see Liam the next day, because Niall takes him off somewhere to help him find himself, or whatever it is that Niall does when he takes the guys on his day. The last time Harry had gone along they’d gone boxing, and though Harry had dressed the part, by the end of it he was exhausted and wishing he had stayed home. Zayn tags along with them this time, though, so Harry’s pretty sure it’s not anything too strenuous today. 

So Harry spends the day with Louis, helping him to remove some of the clutter from Liam’s flat and giving him ideas for a kitchen redesign, getting more and more extravagant until Louis practically kicks him out, telling him to _go slice some fucking fruits or something!_

Harry doesn’t go slice fruit, because that isn’t _all_ he does, thank you very much. Instead, he walks the streets back to Liam’s parents’ house, a single camera following him. He knocks on the door, smiling widely a few minutes later when Liam’s mum opens it. “Hello, Mrs. Payne,” he says, “I’m Harry, I’m one of the guys helping Liam out this week.”

“Of course!” she says. “Come on in, and call me Karen.” She welcomes him in the house with a big hug, one that reminds Harry of his own mum. “Now which one are you?” 

“I do food,” Harry says. “That’s why I came over, actually, because I was talking to Liam yesterday and he said he doesn’t really cook much.”

“Oh, no, he doesn’t feed himself well, that boy,” she says, leading Harry through the house to the kitchen, where she gestures for him to sit at the table and goes to set the kettle on, “But he always comes round for Sunday roast, and I try to get him fed up then.” 

“You send him home with lots of leftovers?” Harry asks, smile growing across his face. 

“Always,” she says, “You know, he likes the classics: roast, mash, fish and chips down the pub, that kind of thing.”

“Oh yeah? That’s what I wanted to ask you, really, what kinds of foods were his favourites. Those are always the easiest ones to teach people to make, because they’re foods they really want to eat.”

Karen smiles at him gently, getting up as the kettle goes and starting to fix them tea. “How do you take your tea, dear?” she asks, then pours some milk into Harry’s tea as he requests. “You know, Liam takes his tea painfully sweet,” she says, laughing a little, “He’s got a massive sweet tooth.”

Harry hums. “Do you think he would be willing to bake?” he asks, and Karen laughs out loud. 

“Oh, dear, I think you’ll need to start with something smaller than that. Pastry is hard, and though I’m sure Liam would try his best at it, he probably wouldn’t do too well.” She pauses and thinks for a moment. “He’s always been a fan of Indian food, maybe you could do something with that?” 

Harry hums, thoughtful. “I think we can make that work.”

*

Harry’s back at the hotel later when Niall and Zayn get back from their day with Liam, and he stops them almost immediately when he sees them enter the lobby. “Hey! How’d it go?” 

“Wouldn’t you like to know,” Niall says, teasing, and Harry feels his brow furrow. 

“Of course I want to know,” he says, “Why are you saying it like that?” 

“I think Nialler is trying to imply that you’ve got a bit of a crush on Liam,” Zayn chips in lazily, and Harry makes an offronted noise. 

“I do _not_ ,” he says, and the two of them just laugh at him, “I don’t! It’s--he--it would be totally unprofessional. Plus, I wouldn’t stand a chance, anyway.”

They laugh again, though it sounds tinged with a bit of pity this time. “You’ll be alright, Haz,” Niall says, patting his shoulder before he moves towards the elevator. Harry stares after him, still feeling confused, before Zayn clears his throat slightly. 

“We’re just making fun,” Zayn says softly, “You--you’d tell us if you got uncomfortable, right? Or if it gets too much?” 

Sometimes it strikes Harry, just how observant Zayn is. He hides it behind his cool facade, acting like he doesn’t give a shit about anything, but he’s always the first to catch when one of them is feeling off, and he makes sure to pull them aside and check up on them. “Yeah,” Harry says, after a pause, “I’ll be okay, Zayn, really.”

Zayn looks at him for a long moment before he nods and moves to follow Niall. Harry sits there in the lobby for a while afterwards, wondering what exactly Zayn had seen in him that he felt satisfied with, since Harry doesn’t feel satisfied in himself at all. 

*

The next day Harry gets to see Liam again, and he wakes up early in the morning, feeling giddy about the prospect. He tells himself he’s just excited to talk to Liam about his plans, and to get Liam enthusiastic about cooking, but he can’t even fully convince himself about that. 

Even though Harry gets to see Liam today, Nick gets him first. They’re going to go shopping, then Harry will meet them out and bring Liam to his planned location. Alone. That’s a bit daunting for Harry, though he supposes they’ve been alone before--though that time the other lads were just in the other room. On the other hand, they won’t _really_ be alone, since there’ll be cameras there. But it’s the thought that counts, Harry supposes. 

Harry bounces down to the breakfast in the hotel, where he finds Louis already sat at a table, downing a cup of coffee. He’s barely seen Louis in the past few days, since Louis has been out early every morning to go to Liam’s flat, and he stays there until late. It had taken Harry aback at first, Louis’ perfectionist nature when it came to the houses he works on. He’s so blasé about everything else, but he can work with a single-minded focus that Harry admires when it comes down to it. He sits down across from Louis with a bowl of fruit, and Louis looks up at him bleary-eyed. 

“What’s got you looking like the Energizer Bunny this morning?” he asks, voice rough. Harry reckons the coffee hasn’t really hit him yet. 

“Nothing,” Harry says innocently, “Just excited to get back to work.” 

“Ah,” Louis says knowingly, “You want to see Liam again.” 

Harry makes an affronted noise. The conversation is beginning to sound eerily like the one he’d had with Zayn and Niall the night before. “No more excited than I was to see any of our other clients.” 

“Sure,” Louis says, skeptical, “Nothing to do with the way you could barely keep your eyes off of him that first day.” 

“I have to look at him, it’s my job!” Harry defends himself. 

“No, that’s Zayn and Grimmy’s job,” Louis says, “Your job has absolutely nothing to do with checking out Liam’s arse.” 

“I was _not_ checking out his arse,” Harry says vehemently. _He doesn’t even really have an arse to check out_ , his mind supplies, but he stops himself from saying it out loud. It wouldn’t really help his case anyway. “Seriously, Lou,” Harry says, “It’s not anything serious. I just think he’s cute, is all. You know I can appreciate a pretty face.” 

“Okay,” Louis says like he doesn’t quite believe Harry, but he leaves it alone after that. They sit in silence until Nick comes into the room, looking sleepy but stylish as ever in a printed shirt. Harry covets it a bit, but Louis just snorts into his coffee. “Cover that up, mate, I’m blinded,” he says, and Nick cheerfully shoots him the bird as he sets about getting his breakfast from the buffet. 

“Morning, boys,” he says when he sits down next to Harry, “What’s up?”

“Harry’s excited to see Liam again,” Louis says immediately, and Harry glares at him, even though he’s pretty much right. It’s not like Harry needs _everyone_ to know. 

Nick snorts into his cereal. “Told you Liam was your type, mate,” he says to Harry, and Louis’ eyebrows rise across the table. 

“You’ve talked about it?” 

“I figured it out on the first day,” Nick laughs, “It’s not like our Harold is subtle.” 

“I’m right here,” Harry says, though he knows it won’t do any good. 

“But you wish you were in Liam’s bed,” Nick says back, and Harry feels his cheeks tint pink. 

“No--I--may--shut up,” he stutters, “It’s not like anything would ever come of it, anyway.” 

Nick opens his mouth, looking like he’s going to say something--but before he can get anything out, producer Ben comes over and tells Nick he’s got to get going to meet Liam. Nick hastily shoves some cereal in his mouth before he winks at Harry. “See you later, mate,” he says, clapping Harry on the shoulder before he heads out the door. Harry watches him go, wishing he could tag along. It sort of sounds like a perfect morning, following Nick around and picking out some clothes for himself while also getting to ogle Liam as he tries things on. 

Louis laughs across the table, and Harry turns around. “What?” he asks. 

“Nothing. You just look like a puppy whose owner abandoned it. You’ll get to see Liam in a few hours, chill out,” Louis says, and Harry slumps back in his chair. Louis laughs again at the look on his face, and Harry takes a grape out of his fruit bowl and throws it at him. Infuriatingly, Louis just catches it in his mouth and chews smugly. 

*

Harry meets Nick and Liam at some boutique Nick had found in Wolverhampton, Harry’s not quite sure how. He didn’t even know there _were_ stores you could consider “boutiques” in Wolverhampton. Nevertheless, when he steps into the shop, it’s quiet, only a few people milling around. He spots Nick by the changing rooms, a few members of their crew standing near him as he makes his way towards him. Liam is nowhere to be seen, so Harry figures he’s in the changing room, trying on whatever clothes Nick picked out for him. 

“Hey mate,” Harry says when he reaches Nick, and Nick just gives him a short nod. 

“Liam, you almost ready in there?” he calls out.

“Did you have to get these jeans so bloody _tight_?” Liam calls back. Harry laughs. 

“Because they make you look fit! It’s all about emphasizing your assets, and you better get your _assets_ out here!” Nick says, and Harry laughs again. Liam makes a frustrated noise in the dressing room, loud enough for Harry and Nick to hear outside. Then he pulls the curtain back, and Harry loses his breath for a moment.

The jeans are tight, but not as much as the ones Harry likes to wear--just enough to highlight Liam’s strong thighs and calves. It’s paired with a simple white t-shirt, but Nick’s layered it with a stylish bomber jacket that shows off Liam’s broad shoulders, and how they taper into his narrow waist. It looks like something Liam could wear to work at the school or to volunteer at the hospital, but he could also take it into the night and go out on a date. Harry knows he’s staring at Liam a bit, and it’s probably suspicious that he’s not said anything as Nick goes on and on about how good Liam looks and what the cut of the jacket means. It’s only when Liam lifts his gaze and catches his eyes that Harry shakes himself out of his stupor. 

“What d’you think?” Liam asks, and he seems almost shy, though he’s still holding himself straight, shoulders back, obviously feeling a bit more confident in his look now. It’s amazing, Harry thinks, the change just a couple of days can make. 

“Looks great, really great,” Harry says, and his voice comes out deeper than it usually is, which is saying something. Nick smirks at him from behind Liam’s shoulder. 

“Alright, so, Liam, we’re pretty much done here. Why don’t you get changed back and then I’ll hand you off to young Harold here? He’s got somewhere to take you,” Nick says, and Liam nods. It might just be wishful thinking but Harry thinks he spots a flush appearing in Liam’s cheeks. 

Liam changes back quickly, and when he comes out of the room in his normal baggy jeans and sweatshirt, Harry sighs a little internally because he realises that Liam could quite literally come out wearing a paper bag and Harry would find him attractive. It is rather pathetic. 

“You ready?” he asks, and when Liam nods, he leads him out of the shop and down the street. 

“Where are we going?” Liam asks, not even two seconds after they step out of the store, and Harry laughs a little. 

“Haven’t you ever heard of a surprise?” he teases.

Liam’s face lights up. “I love surprises!” he says. He looks like an excited puppy. Harry wants to _weep_. Instead, he forces a smile onto his face and leads Liam down the next street. Liam follows him dutifully, though Harry can tell he wants to ask more questions. Soon enough, they arrive at their destination, and Liam’s brows furrow adorably. 

“An Indian restaurant?” he says, confused. Harry just nods, holding the door open for Liam and waiting for him to step inside. Once they do, they grab a table tucked up by the window. 

“So, I’m not sure if you know this, but I visited your mum the other day,” Harry says, and Liam looks even more confused. 

“Really?” he asks. “What for?” 

“Well, I wanted to talk to her a little bit about your diet, what kinds of foods you like. She told me that you love some Indian,” Harry says, “and I’m guessing by the look on your face that she was right.” 

“Course,” Liam says, “who doesn’t?” 

“Right, so, I thought we could get some food, I can figure out what your favorites are, and then maybe we can take a look in the kitchen and see how some of it gets made. How’s that sound?” Harry asks, and Liam’s got that excited puppy look on his face. 

“That sounds sick, mate!” Liam says, and Harry tries not to flinch at the word _mate_. It’s not like Liam would call him anything different, no matter the daydreams Harry wants to drift into where they’re on a real date that will end with Liam taking him home and showing him just what all the time at the gym has done. He shakes himself out of it, and smiles at Liam. 

“So what do you want?” Harry asks, picking up the menu to distract himself. He’s really going to need to get ahold of himself if they’re going to continue on. Liam smiles at him from across the table, chattering on about all his favorite dishes, and Harry has a moment, despite everything he’s been telling himself, where he allows himself to recognize that it’s probably not just a crush he’s feeling for Liam. It’s a stunning moment of clarity, and he can also see clearly that it can’t end in anything but heartbreak for him. 

“Harry?” Liam asks, pulling Harry out of his stupor. He looks a bit concerned, his eyebrows drawn together. “Everything alright?” 

“Course,” Harry says, because he’s a professional and no matter what feelings he has for Liam, he’s got a job to do. “Did you say you wanted tikka masala?”

Liam looks like he can tell Harry is lying, but also like he remembers the cameras are there and so he doesn’t bring it up, just nodding and letting Harry call their waiter over to order. 

“So,” Harry asks a bit later, after they had done some small talk for the camera and after their food has been delivered. “Did you and the other lads decide what your big reveal is going to be at the end of the week?” Usually the guys have one in mind, but there hadn’t been anything planned already, so Harry was curious. He’s even more curious when Liam blushes and ducks his head a bit. 

“Well, um, I talked about it with Niall and Zayn yesterday, and they think it’s a pretty good idea, so,” he trails off, looking around a bit. Harry kicks his shin under the table. 

“Tell me!” he says, pouting a bit to make Liam laugh, to make him feel comfortable again. It works. 

“There’s, well, there’s someone I like a bit, and they thought it would be a good idea for me to go and ask them on a date. And then, like, have the date, hopefully.” Liam looks bashful, avoiding Harry’s eyes. Harry’s heart falls into the pit of his stomach. His reaction is so visceral that, for a scary moment, Harry genuinely wonders if he’ll need to run to the loo to empty the contents of his stomach. Of _course_ Liam has his eye on someone, Harry’s surprised there’s not a line out the door right now of people wanting to date Liam. And Liam’s probably got his eye on a pretty girl that Harry can’t compete with, and Harry’s really not sure how he’s going to handle the rest of the week knowing that they’re preparing Liam to ask out someone else. 

Harry realises then that he hasn’t said anything in a while, and Liam’s now sitting across from him, looking at him expectantly. Harry takes a deep breath, and hopes that they can cut this awkward pause out in post. “That sounds amazing, Liam. Whoever it is would be lucky to have you,” he says, smiling at Liam. He knows it’s not his brightest smile, and it might look a bit forced, but he’s still trying to control the way his heart feels like it’s tearing apart in his chest, so he thinks he deserves a bit of a break. “So I guess we better teach you how to cook something, huh? Fastest way to the heart is through the stomach, and all that.” 

“Yeah,” Liam says, letting out a breath. “That’s what I’ve heard.” He grins at Harry, and Harry forces something akin to a smile back on his face. The next few days are going to be rough. 

*

Harry gets back to the hotel and basically collapses onto the bed in his room, groaning into the pillow. It had been an afternoon full of Liam and only Liam, and though normally it would’ve been a dream for Harry, the entire time he couldn’t keep his mind off the fact that Liam has feelings for someone else. Liam has feelings for someone else, and come Friday he will be expressing those feelings, and Harry will live out the rest of his life in pathetic solitude. It might be dramatic, but it’s the only viable future Harry sees for himself right now. 

He’s not sure how long he lays there, feeling sorry for himself, but eventually he hears the door open. It must be the other lads, though Harry doesn’t move his head to check. Soon enough, the mattress shifts beneath him, and he turns his head to the side, seeing Zayn and Niall in front of him. There’s another weight behind him that he assumes is Nick, since he’s sure Louis isn’t done at Liam’s flat yet. 

“How’d it go?” Niall asks, and he sounds cheerful enough even though Harry’s sure he cuts a piteous figure on the bed. Niall’s always cheerful, though, so Harry probably shouldn’t be surprised. 

“Why didn’t you tell me the big ending is a date?” he asks, dropping his head back on the bed sadly. “Now I have to watch him go run off into the sunset with someone else.” 

There’s a pause from above him. “He told you that, huh?” Zayn says eventually, and it sounds like there’s laughter in his voice. Harry’s not sure _why_ Zayn would be laughing at him, because that would be cruel. 

“Yes,” Harry pouts into the bed. “And then I had to spend the rest of the day with him and pretend everything was alright.” Someone pats him on the shoulder, but he’s not quite sure who. It still makes him feel nice. 

“It’ll be alright, Haz,” Nick says, after another pause. Harry’s fairly sure they’re doing that thing where they hold silent conversations with their eyes over his back. He finally rolls over to check, and he’s right--Nick and Zayn are having very intense eye contact over Harry’s prone form, and Niall keeps looking back and forth between the two of them. 

“Are you two going to fuck?” Harry asks bluntly. “Because if so, can you take it somewhere else? I sort of want to wallow right now.” The two of them break their eye contact, looking down at Harry. 

“That’s weird, mate,” Zayn says. “Me and Grimmy?” 

“Hey, I’m a catch!” Nick says. Harry rolls his eyes. 

“So you aren’t leaving, then?” he asks, and all three lads grin back at him. 

“Nope!” Niall says cheerfully, flopping down next to Harry on the bed. “Can we order room service, though? I’m starved.” 

Zayn and Nick agree, moving towards the phone and bickering over what they want to order. Niall throws an arm around Harry, pulling him into a cuddle. “You’ll be alright, Haz,” he says, and Harry really wants to believe him. 

*

The next day, they all get up and head over to Liam’s flat. Liam had been staying with his parents while Louis was renovating his place, and they’re all supposed to get set up with their final instructions for Liam before they grab him and bring him over. It’s a bit of a bittersweet day for Harry, since he is proud of how far Liam has come in the last few days, and of all the work the other guys have done, and he’s very excited to see Liam’s reaction to what Louis has done with the flat. But at the same time, he knows at the end of the day they’ll be saying goodbye. He’s had difficulty saying goodbye to all of the people they’ve helped during filming, but he knows deep down that it’s going to be the hardest to say goodbye to Liam, to let him go and then sit with the other lads the next day and watch as he lives happily ever after with his special someone. 

Harry’s the one chosen to get Liam from his parents’ house, and the way they had all unanimously said his name when producer Ben asked who should go leaves him feeling a bit suspicious. He knows they’ve all got him figured out by now, but he’s not sure if it’s a blessing or a curse they’ve given him in the opportunity to spend more time around Liam. He takes his time on the walk to Liam’s parents’, though he can tell the PA and cameraman walking with him are getting impatient pretty quickly. When he gets to the door, he takes a deep breath and puts a smile on his face before reaching up and knocking. 

Karen answers, much like she had just a few days ago. She greets him with a big smile and a “Harry!” before pulling him into a hug. When she pulls back, she looks a bit teary, which makes Harry smile wider. “Are you here to fetch Liam?” she asks. “Oh, I’m just so pleased with everything you boys have done for him. You’ve brought him back out of his shell, he’s back to himself again.” She wipes under her eyes again, and Harry reaches out a hand to rest on her shoulder. 

“Mum,” Liam says, appearing suddenly at the end of the hallway. Harry’s not sure how much of what Karen said Liam heard, but he starts walking down the hallway towards them and places his own hand on Karen’s other shoulder. “It’s alright,” he says, and he shoots Harry a wry grin when Karen wipes her eyes again. “It’s just Harry, there’s no need to cry.” 

“I’m just happy you’re doing better,” she says to Liam, and Liam’s cheeks pink up a bit. He glances at Harry out of the corner of his eye and reddens even more when he sees Harry looking back at him steadily. “You were in a bad place for so long,” Karen continues, “and it’s so good to see you back to how you were before.” 

“Thanks, mum,” Liam says, and he pulls her into a tight hug, “I’m glad I’m doing better, too,” he says lowly, and then he looks at Harry over Karen’s shoulder. “Really glad.” They stay like that for a while, long enough that Harry feels a bit awkward, like he’s intruding on their moment. He clears his throat a bit, and they pull apart. 

“Sorry,” Harry says, sincerely. It was a really nice moment, and he hates to break it up, but he also knows they’re on a bit of a schedule. “It’s just that Liam and I have got to get back to the other boys before they wonder where we got off to.” He gives them his most charming smile, and Karen looks a bit breathless. Harry can’t really see what Liam’s reaction is, unfortunately, because he turns and starts to lace up his shoes. 

“Great!” he says, standing back up again. His cheeks look a little pink, but he did stand up quickly, so Harry supposes it’s that. “I’m really looking forward to seeing the flat. Mum, I’ll talk to you later, yeah?” Karen nods an affirmative, waving them off with suspiciously shining eyes. When the door closes, Liam turns to Harry and huffs a laugh. “She’ll be crying the whole afternoon, now. Always happens.” Harry laughs with him and they start walking, headed for Liam’s flat. 

“You excited for today?” Harry asks. It’s half so the cameras around them don’t film awkward silence, half because he’s genuinely curious. 

“Sort of,” Liam replies. “Like I said, I can’t wait to see what Louis has done with the place, and I’m sure everyone else has last little things to show me as well. Like, you’re supposed to teach me to cook, something, right?” he asks, looking at Harry, and Harry nods a little. “So, like, that’s exciting, but at the same time it’s sad because I know you’ll all be leaving this afternoon. And I know I’ve only known you all a short time, but it’s just been so nice this past week, and I’m going to miss it. I’m going to miss you,” he finishes, looking right at Harry, and Harry has to look away, looking at his feet in his ragged boots as they steadily hit against the pavement. It’s not the first time that someone has said they’ll miss Harry and the other boys when they leave, but this one means more to Harry. It might be the way Liam looked right at Harry when he said it, it might have been the lack of a group signifier at the end of the sentence, it might even just be Harry’s own feelings running wild and giving him false hope, but it feels like Liam’s speaking _just_ about Harry, like he’ll miss him more than anyone. 

“We’re going to miss you, too,” Harry says after a moment. They’re turning onto Liam’s street now. “We’re all really proud of what you’ve done in the last week, Liam.” Liam looks like he’s about to say something in protest, but Harry shakes his head, cutting him off. “I know what you’re going to say, but it wasn’t just us, okay? You did this yourself, we just helped a little bit. Gave you the push you needed to move forward. The rest? It’s all you, and it’s super impressive.”

“Thank you,” Liam says quietly, after a long pause. They’ve reached his front walk, and Harry gestures forward dramatically. 

“We have reached your castle!” he says, and Liam laughs. “You go first.” Liam does, and Harry follows close behind. He’s close enough that he can hear the gasp Liam lets out when he steps through the door, as well as the quiet “Holy _shit,_ ” he says after. Harry laughs, and claps Liam on the shoulder, leaning in close to whisper in his ear. “Careful, Li, you’re on camera,” he says, and he doesn’t think he imagines the way Liam’s body shivers as he says it. He pulls away with a smirk, and pushes Liam slightly forward so he steps fully into the house. 

Louis takes over from there, taking Liam on the grand tour of the place. It’s beautiful; the walls have been painted a lighter color, giving the whole space a bigger feel. Louis has also bought Liam all new furniture, things that look warm and inviting and much different than the awkward mish-mash of things Liam had before. Harry had gotten the massive kitchen he wanted, though he’s sad to know he won’t get to cook in it much. Hopefully Liam will take advantage. The best part, though, in Harry’s opinion, is the back garden. Louis has gone all out, turning it into a total entertaining space. There’s a whole new patio, with new furniture, a place for a barbecue, and an actual fire pit built into the space. When Liam sees it, he looks like he never wants to go back inside.

Nick gets to him though, taking him to see his new closet, full of all new clothes. Harry tries to go hide in the bathroom at that point, not sure if he can sit through a full Liam fashion show, but Niall grabs him and pulls him down onto the couch with a laugh. Louis and Zayn join them, and Louis calls out that Liam should hurry up, they’re all ready. Nick comes out first. 

“Okay, Liam,” he calls, and then Liam steps out. He’s wearing an outfit similar to the one Harry had seen him in at the store, and Harry thinks he can maybe handle it. “So, this is a more casual look, something he can wear on the daily,” Nick says, explaining his choices and where Liam can wear it. The other boys _ooh_ and _ahh_ appropriately, making Liam laugh a bit. “Okay,” Nick says, sending Liam back into the other room. “So on top of having the casual everyday look, I thought it would be good to give Liam something a bit more formal, something he could wear to an important meeting or if he’s going out somewhere posh, so that’s what we’ve got next.” 

Liam steps out of the room, and Harry’s hand, resting on Niall’s leg, clenches down so hard that Niall flinches. Liam’s wearing a navy blue blazer, something Nick must have gotten tailored based on the way it rests perfectly against his shoulders and waist. It’s paired with a nice light blue button down and some khaki pants that make Harry’s mouth water with the way they’re fitted on Liam’s legs. The other boys are catcalling and whistling, but Harry can’t make himself do anything. He’s pretty sure if he opens his mouth the only thing that would come out is drool. 

Liam laughs at the other lads, though he shoots a few glances at Harry as well. Probably wondering why Harry’s so silent. Eventually, Nick sends him back to change into the casual clothes and it’s Harry’s turn to take over. He heads into the kitchen and tries to calm himself down before Liam comes in. He gets all his ingredients out and set up, and he’s able to smile genuinely at Liam when he walks in. 

“Alright, so, when we went to the restaurant the other day, you told me you really enjoyed chicken tikka masala. We’ve got you a new gadget here, it’s a slow cooker. What I love about this is that you can turn it on in the morning with all the ingredients in, and then you can just leave it for the rest of the day. It runs on a low enough heat that it’s not going to set the place on fire, and it cooks the food perfectly. Since you’ve got such a crazy schedule, I really think this can help you out. And you can’t use being too tired as an excuse not to make something for yourself anymore!” He smiles at Liam, who ducks his head on a laugh. 

“Yeah, that looks great,” he says. “And I can cook tikka masala in it?” 

“Of course,” Harry says, turning to the ingredients he had set up on the counter. “And I got this spice mix from Zayn’s mum, so it’s definitely delicious and not just off the internet somewhere. What you do is just put all these spices with the yogurt and the chicken into the slow cooker, and then you pop the lid on and leave it on low for about six to eight hours.” He shows Liam what to do as he says it, and when he finishes he wipes his hands off on a dishtowel. “Then when it’s about a half hour before it’s supposed to be finished, you can stir in some cream, lemon, and coriander. And then it’s done! Something that’ll impress any girl you’ve got over.” 

Liam laughs awkwardly, looking at Harry a bit strangely. “Girl?” he says. “Mate, I’m not bringing any girls over.”

Harry’s head whips up, and he stares at Liam with wide eyes. “Pardon?” 

“Did the other lads not tell you?” Liam asks. “I’m gay.”

Harry considers it a minor success that he doesn’t pass out on the spot. “Um,” he starts, and then he clears his throat a bit before trying again. “No, they didn’t. Must have slipped their minds.” His voice sounds a bit strangled, but Harry just wants to get out of this situation as quickly as possible, because Liam still looks a bit amused, and Harry wants to absolutely _kill_ the other guys for not telling him. They did it on purpose, he knows, and he is going to murder them, bad ratings for the show be damned. “Well, that’s good, then,” Harry continues, awkward, “I think Zayn has something to show you now, in the bathroom.”

Liam smiles at Harry one last time, and then leaves the room. When he’s gone, Harry sags in relief, and then turns to their PA, who had just watched the whole thing happen. “Did _you_ know about this?” he asks, slightly accusing, and she raises her hands in innocence. 

“I thought you knew!” she exclaims. “All the other guys had been talking about it--he told them on the second day, when he was with Zayn and Niall.”

So it was _them_ , Harry thinks. He nods at her and walks into the other room, where Louis, Niall, and Nick are sitting on the couches. They’re chatting about something or other, but when Harry stomps into the room and stops in front of them with his hands on his hips, they get quiet. The cameras are in the other room filming Zayn and Liam, so Harry doesn’t feel bad when he nearly snaps, “and exactly _when_ were you lot going to mention that Liam’s _gay_?” 

The lads shift around awkwardly on the couch, none of them quite meeting his eye. “It slipped our minds?” Niall tries, and Harry rolls his eyes. 

“Right, so last night when I was in my room upset over how Liam’s straight and never going to love me, you just never thought to say anything?” 

“You were upset?” Louis asks, and, right, he hadn’t been there for Harry’s minor breakdown. 

“It’s nothing,” Harry says, waving his hand around, “I’ll get over it. It was just a bad moment.” 

“I’m sorry, mate,” Louis says, “For what it’s worth, I thought they had told you.” 

“Great, Tommo, throw us under the bus,” Nick mutters under his breath, “Look, Haz, we’re really sorry. We just, we didn’t think you were this serious, about Liam.” 

Harry takes a deep breath. “It’s--I’m not--I don’t know. I wish you would’ve told me, but it’s too late now. Wouldn’t have made much of a difference.” 

Niall makes a choked off noise on the couch. Harry looks at him, eyes wide. “Ni, it’s fine, you don’t have to get upset.” 

Niall clears his throat. “Yeah,” he says, still sounding a bit strangled, “I’m just, I’m gonna go check on Zayn and Liam.” He practically runs out of the room, and Harry looks after him, bewildered. 

“Did I make him that upset?” he asks. The other boys just shrug. 

*

It’s only about an hour and a half later when they need to say goodbye. They’ve filmed all their one-on-ones with Liam, as well as their talking heads about the progress Liam’s made this week. They all head out to the back garden, sprawling over the lawn furniture and chatting like they’ve known each other for a lifetime. It’s just as the sun is dipping down to the horizon when Liam stands up, clapping his hands to get everyone’s attention. 

“I just wanted to say something real quick, before everyone says goodbye,” he begins. “I wanted to truly thank each and every one of you for what you’ve done for me this week. And I know you’ll say that it was all in me all along, and that you didn’t really do much except encourage me to bring it out, but I still want to thank you. Because I was in a rut for so long, and I kept myself closed off from people, and now, I feel like I’m ready to open myself up again.” He looks right at Harry when he says that last part, their eyes locking. Harry nods at him, blinking rapidly to clear the tears that had begun to form in his eyes, and a grin breaks its way across Liam’s face slowly. “So, thank you. I’m going to miss you, a whole damn lot.” 

There a beat of silence when Liam finishes, and then Louis shouts, “We’re going to miss you too, Leeyum!” and all of a sudden the boys are all rushing across the garden to tackle Liam into a big hug. Liam ends up at the bottom, spread out on the grass and pinned beneath Louis and Niall’s bodies, laughing wildly as Nick starts to yell at the lads about ruining Liam’s new outfit with grass stains. Harry’s the one who helps Liam up eventually, gripping his hand firmly and pulling him up off the ground. Liam smiles at him when he stands, that big smile that crinkles his whole face up and sends Harry’s stomach swooping. 

“Thanks, mate,” Liam says, and Harry nods at him, smiling a bit, before he finally remembers to drop Liam’s hand. Liam heads off to give Zayn a hug goodbye, since the producers are giving them the signal to start wrapping it all up. Liam makes his way through all the lads, giving them hugs goodbye and always saying something quiet to them, giving each one a personal goodbye. 

He gets to Harry last and grabs him into a tight hug. Harry thinks back to that first day, when Liam had stiffened as Harry hugged him, and marvels at the confidence Liam has now, to just pull Harry towards him and wrap his arms around him. He pulls back eventually, and Liam looks at him for a while, thoughtful expression on his face like he’s trying to figure out just what to say. “Harry,” he says softly. “Thank you so much, for everything. I’m going to miss you so much.” That’s all he says, but Harry feels like there’s something missing, something _more_. 

Liam just moves away, though, and they all have one last group hug before they pile back into the car and drive away. 

*

The episode isn’t over, though. Today they have to shoot the scenes at home, watching as Liam goes about his first day navigating his new lifestyle alone. They’ve set up their “home” in one of the bigger hotel suites for this one, not wanting to waste time driving them back to their loft in London. It’s usually a fun filming day for Harry, sitting around on comfortable couches with the lads and cracking jokes. Today, however, Harry has a knot in his stomach that isn’t going away, because he knows that he’s going to watch Liam and his date have a great night together, and then eventually the cameras will turn off and Harry will wake up tomorrow likely to never see Liam again. 

It isn’t a good feeling, but it’s one Harry needs to push through, because he still has to do his job. He spends as long as he can puttering around in the suite’s kitchen, whipping up snacks and cocktails for the other lads to drink. Eventually, he can’t put it off any longer, and Louis calls for him from the other room. 

“C’mon, Harry! We’re about to start!” he says, and Harry gathers all the dishes into his arms and carefully walks into the next room, trying not to drop anything. Luckily, Nick comes to his rescue and grabs a couple of things from him, giving him a look as he places them down on the coffee table. Harry just shrugs and sits down, and almost as soon as he does, the television in front of them clicks on. They’re greeted with the sight of Liam in his bathroom, in his boxers, standing in front of the mirror and doing something to his beard. Harry slumps back into the couch and just barely resists covering his eyes or letting out an audible groan. It’s just so _unfair_ , he thinks, like the world’s cruelest prank on him. He can see some of the other lads looking at him in his peripheral vision, but he tries to just keep a poker face on and not let it show that he’s dying inside. 

“Oh, he’s doing the beard care I suggested,” Zayn says, leaning forward slightly, “He remembered! That’s sick.” He goes on a little bit more about the routine he had taught Liam. Harry tunes him out, eyes glued to the screen where Liam is headed towards his wardrobe. 

“Here we go,” Nick mutters beside him, watching with rapt attention, “Come on, Liam,” he says a bit louder, like Liam could hear him through the screen. “Remember what I said, please.”

Liam slips a white t-shirt over his head first, then pulls on a pair a black jeans. Nick is nodding slowly, seeming to approve of Liam’s choices. Liam stands for a while after, looking at himself in the mirror and then back into his closet, a bit indecisive. “Okay, now just grab something for on top,” Nick coaches, “One of the jackets, or a shirt. Something with _color_.” Miraculously, Liam seems to hear him, and reaches in for a button down shirt, a dark blue that Harry thinks will look really good on him. Harry happens to be right, especially after Liam rolls the sleeves of his shirt up to his elbows. 

“Mr. Payne cleans up good!” Niall calls out, laughing. “His date is going to fall head over heels.” That makes the other boys laugh as well, though Harry wasn’t sure why. He didn’t find it particularly funny. 

Liam heads into the kitchen after, pulling out the slow cooker Harry had left for him and plugging it in. After he’s done that, he just stares at it for a moment, before he mutters, “alright, what did Harry say about this?” 

“Uh oh,” Louis says, “You think he’ll remember?” 

“I hope so,” Harry says, “It wasn’t _too_ complicated.” 

On screen, Liam is still staring at the slow cooker and the ingredients stacked up next to it. “I just put ‘em all in, yeah?” he says to himself, before doing just that. Harry winces a little at his lack of measuring any of the spices, but he’s sure it’ll turn out okay. Probably. “Okay,” Liam says when he’s finished, “now just pop that on low and leave it.”

“He made it through,” Harry says, smiling with relief, “Good job, Liam.”

Liam checks himself one last time in the hall mirror before he walks out the front door. He gets in his car, which Harry finds interesting, since he was pretty sure Liam walked most places. He starts driving, though Harry has no idea where he’s headed. 

“Is he going to meet his date somewhere?” he asks, not sure if they had set something up beforehand. 

“Nah,” Niall answers, “It’s gonna be a surprise.” He looks practically giddy at the prospect, and once again, Harry feels like there’s some joke that all the other lads are in on but he isn’t.

Liam makes a stop before he gets to his destination, at the grocery store. “Did he need something else for the recipe, Haz?” Zayn asks him, and Harry shakes his head. 

“No, I left it all there for him,” he replies, and then he trails off as they all see where Liam’s headed in the store. 

“Oh my god,” Louis says. “He’s buying flowers.” 

“That’s _adorable_ ,” Nick says. Harry stays quiet, a bit dumbfounded at the prospect of Liam going out of his way just to buy flowers for his date. Liam’s stood in front of the floral display, seemingly putting a lot of thought into which bouquet to choose. Harry might just cry by the time this whole thing is over. 

After a minute or two of deliberation, Liam decides on one of the most colorful bouquets in the bunch, taking it quickly over to the checkout and paying. “Those are… bright,” Niall says slowly. Harry shoots him a slightly offended look. 

“I think they’re lovely,” he says, because he does, and they are. Niall snorts at him, and Harry barely resists sticking his tongue out at him. He’s an _adult_. 

Liam’s back in his car, driving somewhere, but Harry’s still not quite sure where he’s heading. Harry quickly stands, asking producer Ben quietly if it’s cool for him to run to the bathroom quickly. Ben nods, since they’ll probably cut this part out anyway, and Harry makes his escape. Ideally, he’d be able to stay in the bathroom until the end of shooting, but he know that would look suspicious. Plus they’ll probably send someone to find him if he takes longer than a few minutes. He still takes his time, singing Happy Birthday to himself two full times as he washes his hands before drying them meticulously on the hand towel next to the sink. He considers splashing some water on his face, getting himself to calm down a bit, but he’s got makeup on. Not a _lot_ , since he keeps his skin clear on his own, of course, but there’s still enough that he shouldn’t wash it away. He sighs, looks at himself in the mirror and tells himself that he can do this. He leaves the bathroom. 

“Is Liam almost there?” he says when he steps back into the room, at the same time there’s a knock at the door. He looks to it, curious, since he can’t really think of who would be looking for them. All the crew and the other lads are already inside, and none of them would knock anyway. 

“Why don’t you get that, Harry?” Nick asks, and his voice sounds a bit strangled. Harry shoots him a questioning look, even as he starts walking towards the door. He opens it, and can’t help the gasp that comes out of his mouth when he sees who’s on the other side. 

“Hi, Harry,” Liam says. 

“Wh--Liam,” Harry stutters, “What are you doing here?” 

Liam shoves the bouquet of flowers towards Harry, and Harry takes them from him, unsure of what else to do. He’s wildly confused, especially as Liam still doesn’t say anything, just uses his free hand to rub at the back of his neck nervously. 

“Well,” he says eventually, “this is my big thing, yeah? Asking out the guy I like. Which is you, by the way.” 

“Liam!” Niall calls from the other room, and, right, the lads are all watching this. Along with all the other people Harry works with. Harry’s cheeks feel like they’re on fire. “You’ve got better game than that! We talked about this!” Niall continues, and now Liam’s cheeks are red, too.

“Liam,” Harry says slowly, not wanting to get his hopes up, “Is this serious?” 

“Yes,” Liam says immediately, “Completely serious. Harry, you’re like, I can’t even describe it, but since I first saw you, I just wanted to get to know you better. And I definitely didn’t want you to leave at the end of the week without at least trying, so. D’you want to go on a date with me?”

Harry is quite literally shocked speechless. He glances back into the suite, and sees the other lads looking back at him, all wearing matching grins. They were obviously in on this, and also clearly gained much amusement from Harry’s pathetic state over the last few days. Harry makes a mental note to get back at them later. 

“Harry?” Liam asks tentatively, drawing Harry’s attention back to him. He forgets about the other boys, and focuses on the giddy feeling spreading in his stomach. 

“Yeah,” he says. “Yeah, I--Liam, yes. Of course I will go out with you.” 

Liam’s shoulders sag like he was holding in a breath, and a relieved look crosses over his face. “Great, so we can, like, go now?” he says, gesturing back over his shoulder. 

“Right, of course,” Harry says, trying to collect himself. He remembers then that this whole thing was caught on camera and will _definitely_ be put in the show. Great. He quickly places the bouquet on the side table by the door, hoping that someone will think to put the flowers in water while he’s out. “I need to try your tikka masala, anyway,” Harry says as he steps out of the door and he and Liam start to head down the hall. “See if it lives up to mine.” 

“It definitely doesn’t,” Liam laughs. 

“I’m sure I’ll love it anyway,” Harry says, smiling over at Liam. Liam smiles at him again, the big, crinkly-eyed one, and then he reaches over and grabs Harry’s hand, lacing their fingers together. 

Harry smiles so wide his cheeks hurt, and tries not to float away on his happiness. When they get back to Liam’s flat, they eat the tikka masala, and Liam was right--it’s not as good as Harry’s is. It’s still good, though, and Harry gets to kiss the taste out of Liam’s mouth after, so it’s a pretty great night, all told. 

*

_Four months later_

“Liam,” Harry whines, flopping back against the couch, “Do we have to?” 

Liam laughs at him, holding the remote securely in his hands. “Hazza,” he says sweetly, the exact way that makes Harry’s knees go weak. Harry narrows his eyes at him, onto his tricks. “It’ll be fun, come on.” 

“Liam,” Harry says seriously, “I know you were a bit oblivious at the time, but I was pining after you pathetically for that whole week. I don’t need to relive it.” 

Liam coos at him, wrapping an arm around Harry’s shoulders and pulling him into his side. He drops a kiss to the top of Harry’s head, and Harry can’t help but melt into Liam’s side. “Please?” Liam asks again, and Harry rolls his eyes, mostly at his own weakness towards his boyfriend. 

“Fine,” Harry says, and he can feel Liam’s smug smile against his temple. Liam clicks the episode on with the remote, and the opening credits start, Harry and the other lads dancing around ridiculously. 

“You look cute,” Liam laughs, and Harry elbows him slightly. 

“Don’t make fun,” he says, though he’ll be the first to admit his dance moves are terrible. Liam is definitely a much better dancer than him, he’s got much better rhythm. And luckily, Harry gets to be on the receiving of that _rhythm_ almost every night. It’s not a bad life. 

Watching the episode is definitely an experience. He still remembers that week so vividly, though he had forgotten some of the details of the other episodes they had filmed. Of course he remembers that week, it was the week that gave him Liam, and because of that it was probably the best week of Harry’s life. 

It’s still embarrassing, though, to see how painfully obvious he was with his crush on Liam. He actually has to bury his face in Liam’s shoulder, groaning out loud, when the version of him on the screen says “don’t you like me, Liam?” 

“God, I was pathetic,” he mutters, and Liam giggles at him. 

“Please,” Liam says, “just wait.” 

Harry pulls his head out of Liam’s shoulder, curious, and Liam presses a light kiss to Harry’s lips, pulling away before it turns into anything more than just a brush of their mouths. Harry pouts, wanting more--isn’t that the _point_ of Netflix and chill?--but Liam just turns back to the telly with a smile. Harry huffs, and turns back to watch as well. They’re coming up on Liam’s day out with Niall and Zayn, and Harry realises that he had never asked what they talked about that day. He watches with rapt attention as they pile into the car together, Niall driving them to a nearby park where they set up a picnic, of all things. Harry takes a moment to be offended they didn’t ask him to make the food for it before he tunes in to their conversation.

“Your sisters told us you had a bad breakup a little bit ago,” Niall is saying, and the Liam on screen nods.

“Yeah, it was just one of those things. I wanted one thing, he wanted something else, he found that something else in another person. I only wish he had broken up with me _before_ he started seeing that other person,” Liam says, and Harry stiffens up next to Liam on the couch. He knew the guy Liam saw before him was bad news, but he didn’t know there was _cheating_ involved. 

“Liam--” he starts to say, but Liam shushes him. 

“Watch the show, Haz,” he says, and he sounds calm enough that Harry doesn’t protest. Zayn is speaking on the screen now. 

“Are you gay?” he asks, and Harry can’t help but snort a little at his lack of tact. 

“Yeah,” Liam says on the screen, “Why, are you surprised?”

“Maybe a little,” Niall concedes, “You’re pretty hard to read. Now, important question here--which one of us do you think is the fittest?” 

Liam laughs on screen the same time Harry does in real life. “I wonder what you’re going to say, hmm?” he murmurs into Liam’s ear, and he grins when it makes Liam shiver against him. 

“Um,” Liam says to Niall and Zayn, “I think, well, none of you are bad to look at, but probably Harry. Dimples and curls and all that.” Zayn and Niall start teasing him for that, and Harry really can’t take it anymore. 

“You like my dimples and curls?” he asks, and Liam turns to him with a smile. 

“I’ve told you that.”

“I still like to hear it,” Harry says, leaning in closer, “And I’m not sure if you know this, but I think you’re rather fit as well.” 

“Oh?” Liam says, eyes crinkling on a smile. He might go to say something else, but Harry can’t tell because he’s already kissing him. They don’t end up finishing the episode that night, too preoccupied with other things, but Harry’s not bothered by it. They have plenty of time to get to that later.

**Author's Note:**

> you can find me on tumblr [here](http://foliealou.tumblr.com) and the fic post for this [here](http://foliealou.tumblr.com/post/173642922426/my-world-never-looked-so-bright)


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